The Forrest City times., 1887-11-05

They drew near her, as the little group han drawn near when the iocket had been found fin Mrs. Grey's box; they gazed in bewildered silence at the locket set in diamonds. The duke was the first to speakG
 Then 1t was not stolen after al IF" he cried.
 Tt was not" said the duchess. uI sion."
 Then Lord Stair spake; but his face had changed, and his voice had chang ed, his lips had grown stiff and white. the sound came from his lips with difficulty.
 "There was two portraits, Ethel" ne saiu. "The one gave your mother and the one l gave you"
 Then came silence that was almost terrible in it's intensity; while it lasted the duchess quilted the room, She re- turned Tn lew minutes, went up to the table where they were all standing, holding in her hand the second por- trait 'set in diamonds" She laid them side by side, her beautiful face growing white anc her hands trembling. She turned to Lord Stair.
 Father" she said, "wbat does tbis mean! They are both here."
 Then Lord Stair, with troubled face raised both from the table; once more he held both in his hands. He went with them to the window and stood looking at them.
 "Only Heaven knows what it means, Ethel" he said solemnly. eI do hot l gave one locket to your na,ber and one .su to you; they are hhe5th here." pa.,a M,ne IS th" one brought by Mr. a.eon' hona' Said the duchess, II know 1t i e .se of. the paper it was wrapped
 "Then," said the duke, solemnly; "it is clear that the locket found in Mrs. Grey's box was not yours."
 "It was certainly not mine," said the duchess.
 But Lord Stair interrupted her.
 "if It was not yours, Ethel, whose was itf'' he asked, and the expression on his face was strange to see.
 The young duchess laid her hand on the portrait that had been folded in the paper,
 This was mine,'' she said. "It has never been taken from the paper"
 She laid her hand upou 1t as she spoke, and the light from the jewels fell over it.
 "This was mine,n she repeated. "It has never been out Of my possession"
 Lord stair took the other looket in his hand.
 "li that is yours, Ethel-stay 9-one moment-if that be yours, this must be the one gave your mother."
 She, toe, looked at it with wondering eyes,
 "It is the same one," she said slowly.
 What in the name of Heaven would bring it here !? Why should it be in mat womans box! l do not under stand"
 "lou gave one to me,n said the duchess, slowly, "and one to my mother The question is, what did she do with it she wrapped this away for me. What did she do with her own, papa :? You must know"
 Tbe memory of that unhappy time rnshed over him. How little, after all. he knew what she had done-what she wore; how little he had known of her. after all, although he loved her so.
 "l ou must know, papa" repeated the young duchess impatiently. Did she wear it, or was it kept 10 cked away like mine?n
 He remembered tho flash of the bright gems on the white neck.
 ''Shs wore it." he clied. II can re- mem Fer seeing it round her neck"
 Was it found amongst her jewels?" she asked, "after her dcathl'
 ''l do not remember, :" said Lord Stair. "All your mothers jewels came to you, Ethel, just as she had left them"
 ''I know; but that portrait was cer- tainly not amongst them, papa. You gave them all to me on my sixteenth birthday, and we looked over them to- gether. You told me that nothing had been touched since her death, that Lady Holte had collected them to- gether, but thare was no portrait"
 "The thing is to find out what be- came of the portrait given to your mother, at her death, then we shall begin to understand how it was found in Mrs. Grey's box. Where was 1t when your mother died? Was it locked away with her other thlngs?-was it left about or whats" LEE.
 "The best thing would be to ask Lady Holte," cried the duchess. "She would remember-write to her at once. and ask. Until then 1 will lock both portraits away. lam beginning to feel afraid of nhem, they seem to be en- ehanted. l have strange, curious feeling about them as though they were connected with us in some strange way: write al once. papa, the mystery grows denser to me-"
 Lord Stair did write at once, much to Lady Holfe's surprise. Her answer threw no light on the mystery. She remembered the lockets perfectly we'll, but had seen neither since the death of Marguerite Lady Stair.
 But two days after writing that let ter Lady Holte sent another, and this time 1t was to say that she distinctly remembered the last time. she saw Lady Stair, on the day of the railway accident. December twentv-seeond. she wore the loeket set in diamonds round her neck.